Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-14557

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering expanding Low Emission Zones to cities beyond Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen, in light of the latest reported figures on air quality from Friends of the Earth Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-14584

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 15 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with COSLA about ensuring resilience within local authorities to continue delivering externally-commissioned statutory services in the event of provider failure.

I regularly meet with representatives of COSLA including through a monthly relationship meeting with their Presidential Team. Those discussions provide the opportunity for COSLA to raise areas of priority for local government with me and we jointly consider what support the Scottish Government can potentially provide - discussion on this specific issue have not taken place to date.

It is for individual councils to plan for the operation of services, including contingency planning, particularly where these are needed to fulfil their statutory duties. The Scottish Government does engage with and involve COSLA on behalf of local authorities on what they might need to support those responsibilities, including funding but also guidance and other materials.

Question reference: S6W-14577

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the anticipated impact on (a) public health, particularly in relation to cases of Lyme disease and (b) biodiversity and the wider environment, of its decision to cease funding for chemical or mechanised control of bracken through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme.

To maximise the benefits of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) in mitigating climate change, the 2023 round will target support for agri-environment, organics and slurry storage applications. This approach will focus on enabling options within the scheme, offering support to as wide a number of beneficiaries as possible. As a result, some elements have been suspended including public funding for the mechanised and chemical control of bracken.

Manual bracken control continues to be offered, and this is often the preferred treatment method on species rich grassland and other habitats offering high biodiversity value.

Those with existing AECS contracts or new contracts, following the 2022 AECS awards announced on 19 January 2023, which contain bracken control through chemical and mechanical means will continue to be supported.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that Lyme disease remains a focus for our work. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders and clinicians through both the Awareness Raising and Health Professionals Education Sub-Groups.

Question reference: S6W-14438

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many mid-market rent properties have been converted to social rent (a) with its permission within and (b) outwith the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S6W-14543

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to its executive agencies regarding the criteria for risk assessments conducted which may allow transgender individuals to access single sex spaces.

The Scottish Government does not issue guidance on the Equality Act 2010. Legal responsibility for this lies with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). On 4 April 2022 the EHRC published a practical guide to law on single sex spaces. This guidance is available on the EHRC website here: Guidance published for providers of single-sex services | Equality and Human Rights Commission (equalityhumanrights.com)

Question reference: S6W-13325

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12504 by Jenny Gilruth on 9 December 2022, in relation to the adjustable car ramp (mezzanine deck) on the MV Hebrides, on what percentage of sailings (a) was the ramp operational during spring and summer 2022 and (b) will the ramp be operational during spring and summer 2023.

Matters about when and whether to deploy the adjustable car ramp are operational ones which CalMac are best placed to respond to, not least in terms of future plans.

The adjustable car ramp allows Cal Mac to increase capacity when the need arises on certain sailings at certain times of the year. CalMac have advised that there has been less need for it to be deployed, as evidenced by the usage during the period of the Summer Timetable 2022 (25 March 22 until 23 October 2022), when MV deployed the Mezzanine Deck on 19.8% of sailings.

Footfall figures for the Tarbert – Lochmaddy – Uig route from March to October 2022 were 134,072, compared to 174,376 for the same period in 2019, an approximate 26% reduction in footfall.

During the spring/summer period of 2023 we will expect CalMac to deploy the ramp as necessary.

Question reference: S6W-14656

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) teachers and (b) pupils have been (i) hospitalised or (ii) required police/ambulance assistance as a result of violence in schools in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S6W-14507

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 14 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of Operation Close Pass, and whether Police Scotland has plans for another campaign of this nature.

Operation Close Pass is an ongoing exercise carried out by Police Scotland and aligns with the latest version of the Highway Code introduced in January 2022 which highlights leaving at least 1.5 metres when overtaking people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph and giving them more space when overtaking at higher speeds. In the complementary 'Give Cycle Space' campaign funded by Transport Scotland, 62% of drivers report being more likely to give at least 1.5 metres of space when overtaking a cyclist. Based on research by West Midlands Police (available publicly) we know that Operation Close Pass can reduce the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on the road by as much as 20%. The Scottish Government will continue to support Police Scotland with Operation Close Pass in 2023-24 on specific dates or at locations as determined.

Question reference: S6W-14698

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much funding has been allocated for the construction of Changing Places toilets in the current parliamentary session, and by what date it expects this will be made available.

The Scottish Government is committed to investing in Changing Places Toilets over this parliamentary term, in order to increase the number of these facilities across the country and to support mobile Changing Places Toilets to allow people easier access to events and outdoor venues.

Funding for the construction of Changing Places Toilets has not yet been allocated. Further information about this fund will be available in the coming months. We have recently published our Changing Places Toilets: Planning Guide and an accompanying easy read for people who are planning to develop Changing Places Toilets now.

Question reference: S6W-14344

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding a suspected fatality among workers on the Liberia-registered rig, Valaris 121, in the North Sea on 22 January 2022.